1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a conveyor provided with least one flexible elongated transport means, which is movable lengthwise by driving means, and with overlapping platforms coupled to said transport means by means of supports for supporting objects to be moved by means of the conveyor, whereby at least some of the supports connecting said platforms to said transport means are capable of pivoting movement with respect to said transport means about pivot axes extending at least substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of said transport means, while means are provided for causing selected supports and the platforms connected thereto to pivot about associated pivot pins in one or more predetermined places, if desired.
2. Discussion of the Background
From French Patent No. 2.182.148 a conveyor comprising spaced-apart platforms is known. Objects can be placed on said platforms at a charging station, and at a desired discharging station of a number of discharging stations disposed along the path of movement of the transport means and the platforms connected thereto a desired platform can be pivoted so as to discharge an object present on the platform in question. A drawback of this known device is that during the pivoting movement of a platform a part of an object present on an adjacent platform which projects beyond said platform may become wedged between the adjacent platforms, which may inter alia disrupt the intended discharge of the objects. Furthermore parts of objects projecting beyond the platforms may become wedged between adjacent platforms when the transport means and the platforms connected thereto pass a curve.
Furthermore conveyors having overlapping platforms are known, whereby the platforms are usually made of a slightly flexible material. It has been considered to arrange such overlapping platforms in such a manner that they can pivot in groups with respect to each other about pivot axes extending in the longitudinal direction of the transport means, in order to discharge objects present on the platforms. Also in this case there will be the danger of parts of objects becoming wedged between the adjacent groups of platforms being capable of pivoting movement with respect to each other.